The lows...

Ashes 2006/07: England went Down Under with hopes high for a second successive Ashes series win, but left 5-0 losers. Pietersen batted well, including a big hundred in Adelaide, but he could not stem the tide of whitewash defeat.

Image source, Getty Images

2008/09: While captain of England, his power-struggle with coach Peter Moores ended with each losing his job. After his brief tenure, Pietersen had to return to the ranks - and for the remainder of his career, toe the line under the regime built by Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss.

Headingley, 2012: Just 24 hours after his brilliant century against South Africa, Pietersen's attempt to avoid the vexed topic of his future plans in the post-match press conference resulted only in the pronouncement that it was "difficult being me" in the England dressing-room. Within days, against a background of 'provocative' texts sent to the opposition about his captain, he was dropped for the final Test at Lord's.

The highs...

The Oval, 2005: Pietersen's maiden Test series, the Ashes no less, was a personal triumph that gripped the nation. Earned his call-up (replacing Graham Thorpe) following a string of one-day international hundreds in a cauldron atmosphere in his native South Africa. Then, with the Ashes in the balance, Pietersen saved the day with a brilliant counter-attacking 158 in the final Test.

Image source, Getty Images

The Caribbean, 2010: England have won just one global trophy in 40 years of trying - and Pietersen was key to their success at the ICC World Twenty20, named player-of-the-tournament after Paul Collingwood's team beat Australia in the final.

Ashes 2010/11: In England's 3-1 series win, Pietersen hit a double-century in the second Test in Adelaide as England beat their hosts by an innings.

Wondering why we're so obsessed with Kevin Pietersen? It's because he's an incredibly talented cricketer, but a fella who seems to be almost as good as courting controversy as he is at hitting fours.

Here's a reminder of some of KP's highs and lows...

The trust between Kevin Pietersen and the ECB has been eroded to the extent that the player will not feature for England this summer, says new ECB director of cricket Andrew Strauss. Here are some of your thoughts...

Rob Overfield, W London: KP broke the omerta of the dressing room for his own ends; that's unforgivable. KP has an issue, it's he sees himself as being outside that dressing room code. No amount of runs could ever change that.

Guy: It's simple. If KP had been mature and sensible and not written the book or sent the texts, he'd be in with a much better chance. But he did. And he's paying the price.

Rob, Bath: Staggered by comments supporting KP by people who clearly have no idea what it takes for a team to work. He's had more than one chance, he's all about him and that will only be corrosive. I'm sure ECB don't want a situation where they can't a top batsman but KP has made it so. Strauss absolutely right, anything less would keep the England team down for longer. Have to rebuild and if that means losing the ashes this time, so be it. Great vision from Strauss.

Sky News sports correspondent Paul Kelso has just posted an interesting tweet regarding Kevin Pietersen...

Image source, Paul Kelso

Patrick Geary
BBC Sport at The Oval

Image source, Getty Images

"Surrey have lost their last wicket leaving Kevin Pietersen on 355 not out - two runs short of the all-time Surrey record. Surrey finished on 557 all out."

Following Andrew Strauss' interview earlier, in which he talked about an eroding of trust between the organisation and Kevin Pietersen and revealed the player would not be featuring for England this summer, new ECB chief executive Tom Harrison has had this to say on Sky Sports...

"All I can add to what Andrew said is that we are aligned on the decision; myself, Andrew and Colin Graves. It has been a tricky issue that has been interpreted in different ways by different people. We are taking this as a chance to move forward with a new leadership with a real excitement about where English cricket can go."

Here is your reaction to Andrew Strauss' comments about an eroding of trust between the ECB and Kevin Pietersen...

Ashley Wilkinson: So ECB can't "trust" Kevin Pietersen. "Trust" doesn't get you runs, beat the Aussies or win a damn test match. Top batsmen do.

Keyu Sumaria: Youth youth youth? SL have had Sangakarra and Jayawardena, NZ McCullum and Vettori, Aussies Johnson and Clarke - Pick the best.

Alexander Catterall: The ECB are pathetic, they treat Pietersen issue as though they were in a relationship and he cheated on them...

Strauss on the aim for the one-day team:

"The players we pick and our tactics have to be designed to give us our best chance of winning the next World Cup.

"It is four years away and I reckon we are going to need every minute of those four years.

"We have been well off pace in the last five years. I want to make sure we are not off pace for the next World Cup."

Asked what his job role actually was, Strauss said: "My job is to take England from where we are to a sustainable world class team in all formats."

Patrick Geary
BBC Sport at The Oval

Image source, Getty Images

"As Andrew Strauss speaks, Kevin Pietersen has moved beyond 350. He is now closing on the Surrey record score of 357."

Strauss on a new role for Joe Root:

"I have asked Joe Root to be vice-captain for the Test team. He has outstanding leadership capabilities and we can need to ask him to do more.

"It is time for Joe to step up in that regard - thought this is in no way a reflection of Ian Bell (who had been vice-captain for the tour of West Indies)."

Andrew Strauss has also discussed the sacking of Peter Moores and the search for a new coach...

"It was another difficult decision to make. Peter Moores is popular in the dressing room and has a good record of bringing through players but he is exposed in a few areas, namely tactics and strategy, as was shown at the World Cup.

"My job is to now pick the right coach to take England forward. He [Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie] is one of the candidates. I am more about the process and over the next few days we will meet candidates. We need to meet them, find out their philosophies.

"It will be one overarching coach. I will not be playing a tracksuited role. The strategy is for the captain and coach. My job is to plan for the future."

Strauss on the position of captain Alastair Cook:

"Alastair Cook has my full backing to lead the side into the Ashes this summer. He has had a brutally tough last 18 months, with his own form and one-day captaincy.

"He turned that round in the West Indies. I think the team needs his leadership and I think he will do an excellent job this summer.

He is not going to be captain England forever but I am very happy with him in charge this summer."

Image source, Sky

More from Andrew Strauss, speaking to Sky Sports News, on Pietersen:

"No one has ever had any doubts about his capabilities as a player. But we can't have a situation where the ECB and Kevin don't trust each other. Everyone knows there is no trust out here. At the moment we're quite estranged.

"This is not about KP, it's about the future of English cricket. Trust is imperative in any team environment. My job is to look to the future of English cricket and develop a side capable of winning tournaments over the next four years.

"He is not barred from playing for England but he is not part of our plans for this summer."

England's new director of cricket Andrew Strauss is speaking to the media this morning at Lord's, with Kevin Pietersen playing the elephant in the room.

"I think the first thing to say is that now is the time for honest conversation about Kevin Pietersen. No one is doubting his ability. His record stacks up and he should be proud of that. But over months and years the trust has eroded between him and the ECB and there is a massive trust issue between Kevin and I.

"I'm not blaming any one side for that. But because of that we have decided it is not in the best short-term interest of the side for him not to be in the team. He is not banned from the side but I can give him no guarantees for the future."

Everton defender Leighton Baines is to see a specialist to determine the extent of an ankle injury.

The left-back, 30, was forced off in the second half of Saturday's 2-0 defeat at home to Sunderland and is a doubt for this weekend's trip to West Ham.

Image source, Getty Images

"We're going to find out a bit more in the next two days," manager Roberto Martinez told the Toffees website. "It was really, really painful in an area that has been a bit of a problem for Leighton.

"We'll get more clarity over the next 48 hours and clearly we'll address it once we get that information from the specialist."

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City have made an approach for former Chelsea midfielder Kevin de Bruyne. The 23-year-old, valued at £35m by Wolfsburg, is also a target for Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain, according to Talksport, external.

Hywel Hughes in Devon: I just want to see our best batsman in action for England again. Cheated out of it by pathetic ECB. Again. The Aussies and the South Africans would have him and they have much better players than our lot.

CJ, Kent: There's no way Pietersen should walk back into the side. Its a team game and he has proved time and time again he isnt a team man. He's slagged off half the team publically and in his book. Plus the strongest part of our team is 3, 4 & 5 (Ballance, Bell & Root) who average 62, 44 & 55.

Richard in Bath: Great strategy from the incoming Andrew Strauss - don't pick your best players! The youth they refer to could still blossom with an older, gifted batsmen amongst them. Whitewash v Aussies here we come.

Chesterfield boss Paul Cook could be confirmed as the new Portsmouth manager today.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio Sheffield reported on Sunday that a deal had been agreed between the two clubs.

Pompey have been looking for a new boss since Andy Awford was sacked last month.

European Indoor Pentathlon gold medallist Katarina Johnson-Thompson has withdrawn from the combined events meeting in Gotzis on 30-31 May.

Image source, Getty Images

Johnson-Thompson suffered a knee injury following her European title in Prague in early March, which has stopped her from training properly.

She competed in the 200m hurdles in Manchester last weekend, but says she is "not sufficiently prepared" to undertake a heptathlon at the end of the month."